Pontypridd Town AFC

Dates of pre season friendlies to follow shortly.

The 1st Team Management and Players would like to thank the junior section for the sponsoring of the two new match balls.

Many thanks for all your hard work and continued support, Management and Players.

Due to unforeseen circumstances this event has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for a future date. Apologies to all.

Pontypridd Town have invited Cardiff City former stars Phil Dwyer, Don Murray, George Wood and Gary Bell for an evening of old City talk and a question and answer session. The evening is bound to be an entertaining one with an interesting comparison with present day footballers and these ex stars who between them played 1804 Football League and Scottish League Games. On top of that they have all experienced Welsh League Football at all levels. The compere for the evening is a well know former Welsh League manager and experienced quizmaster John Herniman who was also on Cardiff City's books as a youngster until he broke his leg.

Tickets for this night of football which will be held at the Central Hotel in Trallwng Square, Pontypridd KO 8pm, are only £5 and can be obtained at The Cone Zone (opposite Ynysangharad Park main gates) and Rytec Opticians Trallwng Square. Telephone enquiries on 07916 457128

The management of Pontypridd Town are sad to announce that their much respected club member Barrie Boit passed away on Sunday 21 November 2010.

Barrie, who at the 2010 League AGM received his long service award for service to Welsh League football, had a long time involvement with Pontypridd Town. Firstly representing them for a number of years as their goalkeeper in the 1960's, when the club were known as Ynysybwl. He then left to play for Rhydyfelin and coach one of that club's younger sides.

He then took up the whistle and became a referee for a number of years and was always a great defender of referees. He returned to Pontypridd in 1992 firstly as the club's first aid man and later served the club, at different times, as Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer and was always an active working committee member.

Barrie made many friends through the game of football and will always be remembered by those people for his wicked sense of humour and fun. During his last season of travelling to away games he would regale us with tales of his Welsh League playing days at grounds and places now long forgotten by many of us.

Barrie leaves a wife, a daughter and a grand-daughter of just six weeks.

After a good 4 - 1 home win against South Gower in mid week Ponty dissapointed their travelling supporters when they lost their away game to Llanwern by 3 goals to 2 in this Welsh League 3rd division clash.

The game started well for Ponty and they pinned Llanwern down for the first 15 minutes until a breakaway by the home side which saw them take the lead after a bad defensive error. Ponty's display was so disjointed in the second half yet they equalised when leading goalscorer Ryan Buchman scored from close range.

Llanwern continued to play the better football and it was no suprise when they took the lead again from close range. With Ponty now having to push forward to get back into the game they fell for another sucker punch when Llanwerns rangy striker beat the offside trap with an excellent goal from 15 yards with Ponty now facing an uphill struggle.

Manager Allan Davies then brought on players from the bench and striker Duncan Culley made an impact when with just 5 minutes left he superbly fired home to make it 3-2. Ponty almost equalised but it was not to be as they trooped off the pitch with their heads down. Although Ponty were without their striker Chris Summers who will be out until the new year this defeat was a big blow to their promotion prospects which has already seen them lose 5 out of 10 games with 2 drawn. Last season Ponty lost 7 games which saw them finish in fith position which means they will now have to have a long run without any losses to stand any chance of promotion.

The biggest suprise for Ponty players and supporters alike was the apearance of prolific goalscorer Chris Summers at Caerau on Saturday. Manager Allan Davies moved quickly when he was given permission to speak to Summers by 1st divison Goytre over a transfer to Ponty where he scored close on 40 goals when they were promoted to the 1st Division of the Welsh League a few seasons ago. Goytre reluctantly agreed to the transfer just in time for Summers to play against high riding Caerau who had only lost one game this season.

After a very disapointing home loss last week Ponty knew that any further games lost would mean promotion would become more difficult. The way they started showed that they were determined to come away with a good result and as early as the 5th minute they took the lead. The move started on the right flank with Summers and Lewis Waite combining which then switched to Jason Lewis on the left wing who unleashed a rasping 20 yard drive that saw the ball hitting the back of the net.

With a reshuffled defence looking strong with Richard Jago playing alongside Ben Perkins, Ponty were taking the game to Caerau and playing entertaining football. It was therefore no suprise when in the 25th minute they increased their lead after Jago who moved up to support the attack turned in a ball which was heading over the goal line which hit a defenders hand. Summers picked up the ball took the penalty and cooly hit the ball into the net for Ponty to lead 2 0. Caerau then pushed up to get back into the game resulting in Ponty keeper Chris Galton making a succession of brilliant saves. In the 35th minute Caerau got the goal they deserved when from a corner their leading goalscorer Lee O'Brien scored to make it 2 1 to Ponty going into the break.

The second half saw the home team taking the game to Ponty in search of the equaliser and Corey Davies scored after another huge route one ball which saw a Ponty defender misjudging the bounce. With the home team pushing forward for the winner Ponty Manager Davies also changed his team hoping to get the winner. Both teams deserved a point and are sure to be going for promotion this season but with Ponty missing out last season they are determined to go one better this season and move into the 2nd Division. Ponty are at home to Tredegar this Saturday at Ynysangharad Park KO 2.30 pm for Chris Summers home debut.

It would appear that the real Pontypridd Town only turns up for cup matches as the Town won their fourth cup match of the season when they defeated Welsh League Division One side Caerau (Ely) in the first round of the Nathaniel League Cup in Cardiff.

Travelling to Cardiff with a somewhat weakened squad Pontypridd can not have believed that by the end of the game they would have added another First Division scalp to their cup tally to add to their Welsh Cup win over Pontardawe Town.

The Town had a much changed defence with Leighton James coming in as goalkeeper to replace the injured Golton. Cory Richards returned as right back following his injury, Richard Jago partnered Manager Allan Davies in the centre whilst Andrew Corcoran came in at left back for his first full game of the season.

The game itself saw very little goalmouth action in the first half of which the highlight was the dismissal of a Caerau (Ely) side by referee Mike Ford after just 13 minutes for foul and abusive language but still Pontypridd failed to take advantage of their number superiority.

The second half was no different from the first half with Ponty just managing to create a few goal attempts whilst 10 man Caerau started to dominate the game.

Even so it came as a suprise when after 70 minutes the home side took the lead through Azziz. A quick counter break by Caerau saw them with a three on two situation and as the ball was passed quickly to Azziz he comfortably shot passed James in the away goal giving him no chance.

Although the Town huffed and puffed they failed to create a good goalscoring chance and it took the introduction of substitute Trotman to save the day. Introduced in 85th minute a Pontypridd attack saw the Hilaire in the home side's goal fail to collect a low cross and Trotman gratefully turned the ball into the net to take the tie into extra time.

With the ten men of Caerau tiring Pontypridd went ahead in the fifth minute of extra time when Buckmann held off the challenge of the home side's centre half to curl a shot into the bottom corner of Hillaire's goal. Eight minutes later Jason Lewis put Pontypridd into a 3-1 lead and despite sporadic attacks one from which Davies scored a second goal for the home side Pontypridd hung on for a fine victory. Manager Alan Davies' comment after the match that "I wish we could play cup games every week" was most apt.

Pontypridd Town came out on top in this battle of the "Pontys" Welsh Cup First Round tie played at Ynysangharad Park.

Pontypridd may have made a stuttering start to their Welsh League Third Division campaign but this victory over their First Division visitors is already their third cup game of the season. Pontardawe came to "The Park" in a confident mood expecting to easily roll over the home side and progress into the next round. But following Pontypridd's dismal showing in the league at Goytre the week before Player Manager Allan Davies and his assistant Rob Ellis made quite a number of alterations to the side, both positional and in personnel. With regular full back Brett Hewitt starting a three match suspension Alun Griffiths was switched to his normal left hand side last years Player of the Year Neil Davies returned at centre half with Allan Davies playing at right back.

Gareth Harbord returned after injury and was partnered in midfield by Matthew Jones, who made his full debut, and Will Penikett. Whilst up front Richard Jago formed a three speared attack with Ryan Buckman and Lewis Waite but it was Pontardawe who made all the early running and before the home side could settle into some sort of rhythm they had created three reasonable chances only to find home 'keeper Golton maintaining his early season form.

As the game went on the home side came more into it only to find that Pontardawe's young sweeper, Davies, was more than a match for the home attack and it was probably due to Davies having to leave the field, in the 35th minute, and miss the rest of the match following a clash with the home side's forward Buckmann that was to lead to Pontypridd's breakthrough.
And it was Buckmann who was to strike the decisive blow when a superb cross, in the 39th minute, from Lewis Waite was headed in by the strong centre forward to give the home side a 1 - 0 half time lead.

In the second half the visitors tried to impose their supposed superiority but the home defence proved a lot more resilient than at Goytre the week before but then in the 62nd minute 'dawe forward Bateman met a cross from the left and headed what looked to be a certain goal only for Golton to pull out a superb one handed flying save. So Pontardawe continued to huff and puff and when they failed to get any result from their efforts they started whinging and rough tactics with Golton the end of one or two nasty challenges but referee on the day, Michael Bullock, was more than a match for the visiting players. It was from the break down o0f one of 'dawe's attacks that Pontypridd scored their second goal. Driscoll broke up a visitors attack and transferred the ball quickly to Matthew Jones on the half way line, Jones sprinted into the visitors half beating two players in the area before calmly shooting past the visiting goalkeeper for Pontypridd's second goal of the afternoon. But the drama was not over and with just four minutes remaining Bullock awarded Pontardawe a penalty and a possible lifeline back into the game but the spot kick was poor and Golton made an easy save down to his right and the game was won and Pontypridd Town were in the hat for the Second Round Draw for this season's Welsh Cup.

A thunderous drive from 20 yards by Player manager Allan Davies proved to be the winning goal in this all Welsh League Third Division Welsh Cup encounter.

Pontypridd travelled to Briton Ferry for this tie having overcome Risca Utd in the previous round by a 1-0 scoreline, with the rebuilt Pontypridd Town team starting to knit nicely after an unbeaten pre season run. With regular centre half Neil davies serving the last of his two match suspension Player Manager Davies decided to play himself at the centre of defence alongside debut maker David Penekitt.

The home side started the brighter and although pressed the Pontypridd goal failed to create any real chances and by the 15th minute Ponty had asserted their authority and were staring to play some very nice one touch football. Then in the 24th minute a cross from the Ferry left winger Lloyd twisted in the air deceiving Golton in the Pontypridd goal and the visitors found themselves a goal down.


Pontypridd soon put this setback behind them and started to create openings but no real chances of a goal but in the 40th minute a weak cross from the right by Waite deceived the Ferry defenders allowing Town's Buckmann time to get to the ball and direct his header into the bottom corner of the home sides goal to level the scores.

Half Time Score: 1-1

The second half saw Pontypridd assert their authority with chances created for Buckmann, Lewis and Trotman and it was Trotman especially who was creating havoc in the Ferry team with his mazy runs beating opponents seemingly at will. As the game went on both sides appeared tired with half chances appearing for either side and with neither the Ferry or the Town able to convert any of them the game went into extra time.

At the beginingof extra time a re-organisation of the back four was to be the catalyst which would lead to Ponty's winning goal. Town right back Richards had to go off with an injury. This meant that Allan Davies had to switch to right back with Richard Jago coming on at centre half and what an important period of extra time Jago was to have. The first period of extra time was played out in much the same fashion as normal time and as both teams changed around for the second period of extra time everyone in the ground were expecting the tie to go to penalties but it was not to be. In the 23rd minute of extra time Pontypridd won a corner on the right, as both teams filled the Ferry box Jason lewis got ready to take the corner when Davies screamed for the ball as he burst from his right back position, this movement caught everyone by surprise and by the time Briton Ferry realised what was happening Davies had hammered his shot into the net from 20 yards for what was to be the winning goal.

With just seven minutes to go to full time Ferry threw everything at the Pontypridd goal but with Town 'keeper Golton catching everything and substitute Jago making three timely interceptions, one in the final seconds of the match Pontypridd hung on for a deserved victory.

After the match Pontypridd strengthened their squad with the signing of Alyn Griffiths, who played for Bradford Park Avenue last year and ex Merthyr defender Matthew Driscoll.

Pontypridd Town entertained Gwent side Croesyceiliog from Division Two of the Welsh Football League and entertain was the right word to describe a match in which both sides stove to play neat attractive football.

With the playing surface in Ynysangharad Park looking as good as it has been for a number of years the fare served up by both sides complemented the playing area.

It was the visitors who went ahead first when, in the 10th minute, confusion at a corner saw Davies of Croesyceiliog, show signs of Hamburg's Uwe Seeler, and back head the ball into the net from some four yards out. The Town pressed hard for an equaliser and it came after 35 minutes when when Lewis Waite, who was to be a thorn in the visitors side all afternoon was put through by Trotman. Waite switched the play to Lewis whose cross eluded the vistors defence and looked to be going out for a goal kick only to drop onto the magical boot of Town forward Jago who tapped in from 6 inches.

Within five minutes the visitors were back in the lead when Crossley's shot from 15 yards beat James in the home goal for the half time score to be 2 - 1 to the Gwent men.

The second half was to be the Will Penekitt Show as his "Frank Lampard runs" from midfield started to cause Croesyceliog problems and it was two goals from Penekitt over a fifteen minute spell saw the Town set up for victory. It was not to be as in the 79th minute Croesyceiliog's Davies claimed his second of the match with a fine shot from ten yards. With just ten minutes remaining Town sent on young 'keeper shaun Llewellyn for his goalkeeping debut but bouyed by their equaliser the men from Gwent pressed for a winner. Then with seconds left on the clock Davies had a shot brilliantly saved by Llewellyn who then immeadiately threw his body in front of another goalbound effort from Croesy's Arbuthnott, thus earing the Town a satisfactory draw.

Manager Davies is pleased with the way his new side is performing and playing a far more attractive brand of football than last season. His side certainally appears to know the way to goal and he hopes that "the goal of winning promotion will be achieved by playing attractive football.

The eagerly anticipated pre season friendly match against Neath Athletic turned into something of a damp squib off the field when Neath sent their Acadamy team to play Pontypridd. All week the club had been anticipating playing Lee Trundle, Keirion O'leary et al only to find that they were to play the Neath Athletic Academy team. Talented though they were club secretary Adrian Dumphy felt that Neath had shown total disrespect to his club and said " Although I did not really expect Trundle to play I thought Neath would have sent a more senior team to play us, with a mix of both senior and academy players. I believe to send just their academy team has been downright disrespectful to Pontypridd Town".

As for the game it turned out to be a very entertaining encounter. The visitors, under the tutelage of former welsh International Peter Nicholas, showed some fine skills and passing ability and even went ahead in the sixth minute when a mix up in the makeshift Pontypridd defence saw them take the lead. From this moment on though the home side continually pressed forward and it was only the fine skills of the Neath 'keeper kept Neath ahead. The scoreline changed after 31 minutes when a brace of goals, in the 31st and 39th minutes, from Will Penekitt put Pontypridd ahead.

The second half was much the same as the first with both teams playing skillful attacking football. Neath managed to grab an equaliser in the 55th minute following yet another mix up in the Pontypridd defence. Then in the 68th minute the referee and his assistant gave a goal by Pontypridd Lewis which was hotly disputed by the visitors and the game finished in a 3-2 win for the Town.

To add insult to injury the Neath players spurned the hospitality on offer by Pontypridd and left the ground imeadiately after the game, which the Town Club Secretary said "compounded their disrespect for our club".

Pontypridd Town begin their competitive fixtures this coming Saturday when they travel to Risca Utd in the First Preliminary round of the Welsh Cup.

Please see below pre-season results:

Pontypridd Town V Bridgetown AFC - Won 4-0
Lewis Town Vs Pontypridd Town - Won 3-0
Sully Sports Vs Pontypridd Town - Won 3-1

Pontypridd Town AFC are pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Ellis as assistant manager.

Rob has a wealth of experience in Welsh football. He managed Taffs Well Amateur League side for several seasons before moving on to manage both Tredegar Town FC and UWIC in the second division of the Welsh League.

Last season Rob was Assistant Manager at Clevedon Town FC in the Southern Premier Division in the English system, before returning back to the Welsh system this year.

Any players interested in training with the Pontypridd Town AFC should contact the club on 08450 556197.

Please find below details of the forthcoming 2010-2011 Pre-season training sessions:

Location:
Hawthorn High School, School Lane, Hawthorn, Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan CF37 5AL,

10.00 - 12.00, Saturday, 3rd July (Grass)
18.45 - 20.45, Monday 5th July
18.45 - 20.45, Thursday 8th July
18.45 - 20.45, Tuesday 13th July
18.45 - 20.45, Tuesday 20th July
18.45 - 20.45, Thursady 29th July
18.45 - 20.45, Thursady 12th August

Pontypridd Town AFC are preparing themselves for a concerted push for promotion from the Welsh League Third Division with the aim of First Division football in three years.

The club requires a trainee or qualified physiotherapist to provide support during training and match day pitch cover, primarily to the first team, although the appointment will benefit the club as a whole.

Contact number for these positions and also for unattached experienced players is 08450 556197.

An Ian Traylor penalty in the 36th minute was enough to claim all the points for table topping Ponty Town against second placed Aberbargoed Buds.

The Buds came to Ynysangharad Park having been beaten only once in the league and with former Cardiff City player John Lewis in charge. Town were aware that their opponents would be well organised and committed.

It soon became apparent that there were not going to be many goals in the match, with both defences in fine form denying opposing forwards any shooting chances. It was going to take a moment of magic and it came from Pontypridd's Geza Hajgato in the 35th minute.

Hajgato received a pass from Traylor some 25 yards out and burst into the Aberbargoed Buds penalty area. As Hajgato prepared to shoot he was clattered by the keeper and a penalty was awarded to the home side.

Pontypridd's top scorer Traylor placed the ball on the spot and shot confidently past the Buds' keeper to put the home side 1-0 ahead.Although few clear chances were created by either side in the second half the visiting Buds had the majority of the ball.

But with new signing from Llantwit Fadre, Josh Evans being ably aided in midfield by Paul Dawes it was definitely a case of quantity but not quality on the visitors behalf. The final whistle was greeted by the home players as a cup final win as this result now takes them seven points clear of their challengers, although the Buds have five games in hand.

Next week the Pontypridd Town travel to another of their rivals for promotion, Goytre on Saturday, March 20

Pontypridd Town travelled to Abertilery Bluebirds with a depleted team that was missing key men Mike Jones, Neil Davies and Geza Hajgato. This Welsh League 3rd Division game needed Ponty to win to remain leaders at the top of the table. Ponty took the lead in the 8th minute after a centre from Danny Street found Ryan Jenkins who neatly placed the ball past the home keeper with consumate ease. Although the Bluebirds pressed hard for an equaliser they found the reshuffled Ponty defence were holding well which enabled them to keep their lead until halftime.

The second half saw the home side maintaining their pressure on the Town but were thwarted twice by Marty Ellacot with brilliant saves that brought applause from both sets of supporters. Ponty manager Allan Davies brought youth team player Ian Wride off the bench for his first team debut and he quickly settled in showing nice touches. After a number of counter attacks Dave Holmes scored Ponty's second and decisive goal when he cleverly chipped the home keeper who he saw comming off his line.

Manager Davies had nothing but adoration for his depleted and reorganised team who came away with a valuable 3 points. This win sets Ponty up for a mouth watering home game with former Cardiff City player John Lewis's team Aberbargoed Buds. The Buds have only lost one game this season and would lead the table by many points if they won their games in hand. The KO is at 2.30 at Ynysangharad Park and the club would like to see as many young,new and old supporters turning up for this very important game.